Oprah Goes All-In On New Restaurant Venture

True Food Kitchen recently received an undisclosed amount of money as an investment from Oprah Winfrey. She recently announced this, also explaining that she will be joining the board of directors and become one of the restaurant’s consultants, reports Food and Wine. Oprah believes her new venture is worthwhile, and has spoken out regarding her favorite cocktail and other food items off the True Food Kitchen menu each time she dines at the establishment.

As fans likely know, Oprah is an advocate of healthy eating and has been an ambassador for Weight Watchers since 2015. She believes so strongly in the value and impact of healthy eating and living, that Oprah has even recently released her own line of soups and other snack or side items in a partnership with Kraft Heinz. Her new company is called Mealtime Stories, and focuses on making ready to eat “nutritious products more accessible [for] everyone,” cites Food and Wine. Investing and becoming a big part of True Food Kitchen will be the first time Oprah has backed an actual restaurant.

Weight loss expert Bob Green and Oprah were apparently so impressed with the restaurant during their first time dinning, that it was initially what sparked her interest in collaborating with True Food Kitchen. Oprah opened up to reporters, explaining her inner thoughts in a joint report released with the company.

“When I first dined at True Food Kitchen, I was so impressed with the team’s passion for healthy eating and, of course, the delicious food, that I knew I wanted to be part of the company’s future.”

Organic Tuscan Kale Salad is Oprah’s go-to dish when dining at True Food Kitchen, and her favorite cocktail is their Thai Grapefruit Martini. So what else is served up in the restaurant? This company uniquely focuses on serving ingredients with anti-inflammatory properties, inspired by Dr. Andrew Weil’s food pyramid. More information of that food pyramid can be found on Dr. Weil‘s website.

The essence of this food pyramid tackles issues in chronic inflammation, which has been linked to heart disease. The food also focuses on Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and rheumatoid arthritis in the diet plan. The style of True Food Kitchen draws inspiration from Asian and Mediterranean flavors, as well as vegan and vegetarian meals. They serve pasta, soup, noodles, salad, and burgers, among an array of other dishes.

Restaurant data firm Fishbowl named True Food Kitchen as one of the year’s emerging restaurants, says CNBC. In 2016, the chain only had 16 restaurants. Currently, they have 23 locations in 10 states, including Florida, Texas, and Colorado. Reports claim that True Food Kitchen wishes to expand their numbers immensely over the next three years.